Mitzvah Project: Tree Art Project

Isy Mekler is a 7th grader at the Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Boston. When it came time to decide on a Mitzvah Project, he was inspired by his favorite children’s book, Shel Silverstein’s “The Giving Tree,’’ and its message about generosity.

He came up an ambitious fund-raising idea, he wanted to buy books for needy children. He decided to reach out to various artists across the country and asked them to create a work of art that could be auctioned off. The money raised would give him enough money to buy books.

He sent emails to 300 artists and illustrators and asked them to paint or illustrate a three-dimensional cardboard tree, which he had manufactured in Colombia. According to Isy, it was cheaper to make them there.

These cardboard “kits” were sent to artists/illustrators

Through referrals from the organization Reach Out and Read, who will also benefit from this project, 35 artists did respond. Those trees will be exhibited at the Danforth Museum and School of Art’s Children’s Gallery in Framingham, beginning in May with an online auction being held at the same time.